Life is a Garden As fungi, mushrooms are biologically distinct from any other food group and have a unique nutrient profile. They make a delicious addition to a meal, add magic to the garden and are great for healing the body. History of the mushroom The word mushroom is derived from the French word for […]

The exact origins of tango – both the dance and the word itself – are lost in myth and an unrecorded history. The generally accepted theory is that in the mid-1800s, the African slaves who had been brought to Argentina or their descendants began to influence the local culture. The word “tango” may be straightforwardly […]

Life is a Garden Spicy and sweet, fennel is a cook’s dream and a delight for gardeners who love its striking foliage and flowers. As a herb, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a citizen of the world, like so many other Mediterranean exports. It still grows wild along the coast and on dry sunny Mediterranean slopes, […]

Life is a Garden Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are members of the Allium family, along with garlic, leeks, onions, scallions and shallots, but with a mild onion flavour. They are all effective in countering infections, including those of the nose, throat and chest, although garlic is by far the most effective. Chives have similar medicinal properties, […]

Life is a Garden Gardening equipped with quality knowledge means it’s time to have a peaceful, but victorious war on the weeds! So escape to the garden and have some fun! Strategy Surprise element: Firstly, always act immediately. There is an old saying that goes “one year’s seeds, seven years weeds”. This little expression is talking about […]

James Chapman, Professor of Film Studies, University of Leicester Coverage of the passing of Sir Sean Connery has inevitably been dominated by his legacy as the screen’s first – and best – James Bond. Connery’s “Bond, James Bond” moment near the beginning of Dr. No (1962) is one of the iconic moments of cinema history […]

Life is a Garden Clivias for shade – Plant indigenous, water wise clivias this month and allow their vibrant spring blooms to brighten up the shady areas of your garden. The vivid orange blooms of the indigenous bush lily or clivia (Clivia miniata) are a welcome spring sight in local gardens and remind us that […]

Emile Wennekes, Chair Professor of Musicology: Music and Media, Utrecht University His audience knew him as “Yardbird”, or more usually, just “Bird”. The variety of sobriquets given to jazz alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, who would have turned 100 on 29 August 2020, is indicative of his different personae – most important, of course, his musical […]

Liam Corr, PhD Researcher in the Department of Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield – 28 August 2020 Chocolate in all its forms is something that I, along with many others like to indulge in on an almost daily basis. But chocolate as it’s enjoyed today is quite different from when it first arrived in Europe […]

 The musical partnership of David Crosby (born August 14, 1941), Stephen Stills (born January 3, 1945), and Graham Nash (born February 2, 1942), with and without Neil Young (born November 12, 1945), was not only one of the most successful touring and recording acts of the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s – with the […]